1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a time correction system, a time correction instruction device, a pointer type timepiece, and a time correction method. More specifically, the present invention relates to a time correction system, a time correction instruction device, a pointer type timepiece, and a time correction method configured such that the pointer type timepiece and the time correction instruction device are in a communicable state, and the instructed time is automatically corrected in the pointer type timepiece.
2. Background Information
Date-displaying pointer type timepieces that display the time by the positions of rotating pointers and also display the date by a rotating date disc with numerals or the like on the date disc are known in conventional practice. A silver battery or another such primary battery is provided in a date-displaying pointer type timepiece to drive the timepiece itself. Therefore, for example, when the battery runs out of power and needs to be replaced, the timepiece is taken to a timepiece store, where a store staff opens the back lid of the timepiece to replace the battery and also adjusts the time displayed by the pointers and the displayed date.
There are also date-displaying pointer type timepieces that have so-called auto-calendar functions for automatically correcting the date displayed by the date disc when one calendar month has 30 or 31 days or when a leap year occurs. A primary battery is also used in such timepieces, and the time and date are adjusted along with a battery replacement similar to the previous description when the battery runs out of power, and, furthermore, the year is also adjusted due to the setting of the auto-calendar functions.
Regardless of whether these auto-calendar functions are present, the time, date, and year are generally adjusted in such timepieces by operating winders, buttons, or the like. However, such adjustment procedures have been troublesome because winders, buttons, or the like, which are relatively small elements, must be used, and the adjustment procedures have been extremely complicated. Therefore, when a plurality of timepieces needing battery replacements are brought in, much time is required for date and time adjustment procedures accompanying battery replacements, and the timepieces are not returned to the user on time.
With a timepiece equipped that has an auto-calendar function, as previously described, the year must also be adjusted when replacing the battery, and the mechanism, method, and other adjustment aspects involving winders or buttons has become complicated. Therefore, to improve on this problem, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-61555 discloses a technique for correcting the date displayed by the date disc in a timepiece via an internal date correction circuit by providing the inside of the back lid of the timepiece with liquid crystal display devices or switches for correcting the date, and inputting the correct year, month, and day using these liquid crystal display devices or switches. However separate liquid crystal display devices and switches are provided for date correction in this case, so the number of liquid crystal panels, circuits, pressure plates, and other such members increases, which leads to problems related to rising costs of the timepiece, increases in size, and the like. Also, the back lid must be opened to correct the date even when the counter with the date information is reset by an operation involving static electricity or the like, and the date is corrected for some reason other than battery replacement, which has caused problems of poor operating efficiency.
Furthermore, as shown in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-190781, a drive device for driving the minute, hour, and second pointers and the date disc is often separately installed in order to provide the auto-calendar function, in which case a switch for detecting the fact that the minute, hour, and second pointers are at 12:00 AM must be provided, which has been disadvantageous in terms of the size of the timepiece, the number of components, the cost of assembly procedures, and the like.
Also, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-62567 discloses a device wherein a configuration unit for setting the auto-calendar function is mounted on the inside of the back lid of the timepiece, and the displayed date and time are corrected by writing the time and a calendar as the calendar information into the configuration unit with a pencil or the like. However, this case necessitates space for mounting the configuration unit, which hinders size reduction of the timepiece. Although the possibility of reducing the size of the configuration unit has also been considered, this approach would be inconvenient in that setting would become more difficult to accomplish. Furthermore, the setting method itself is not necessarily simple, so the manual needs to be consulted, which may lead to a more complex procedure.
A configuration wherein specific buttons for correcting the date are provided separately to exterior parts has also been considered, but problems of increased cost due to the increase in the number of elements have occurred in this case, and problems of damaging the appearance have occurred particularly in the case of wristwatches and other design-oriented products.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for improved time correction system, time correction instruction device, pointer type timepiece, and time correction method. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.